A cold snap forecast for Florida raises questions about the survival of Burmese pythons, an invasive species thriving in the state's warm climate. Experts point to 2010’s freeze as a precedent, when nearly 40 pythons died from prolonged Arctic air.

Unlike native wildlife, pythons rely heavily on basking to regulate body temperature. Extended cloudy, cold days leave them vulnerable. University of Florida researchers found that a double blast of frigid weather in 2010 also killed 151 American crocodiles.

This weekend’s forecast includes lows near freezing, with wind chill factors dropping into the mid-20s. While not as prolonged as 2010, the freeze could still weaken pythons, making them easier targets for native predators like bobcats and bears.

Ian Bartoszek of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida expects some python deaths but not a mass die-off. He notes pythons often shelter in gopher tortoise burrows, which remain significantly warmer than surface temperatures during freezes.